Christmas Gift

     Dawn has broken and soon we’ll all be, opening presents around the tree.
     Papers and packages will clutter the floor, but please remember what this day is for.
     During this glorious season of love, remember the One who came from above.
     He gave us a love that never ends, and today we will share it with family and friends. 
     So while you're gathered in one happy place, make sure they all know about His saving grace. 
     Then take a moment and look up and say, "thank you, Lord", for that Babe in the hay.

~Shirley Keefer Topeka 2011

Tormented Soul

Tormented soul. Tormented soul. There is so much you long to know. What road to take? What path to chose? If you chose wrong, what will you lose? What prevents you from letting go? Tormented soul. Tormented soul. Fear of living? Or fear of not? Fear of falling; not being caught? Take those leaps and face your fears. Look back and smile in future years. Tormented soul, tormented soul. Don’t take the path that others go. Attempt and fail. There is no shame. Evading them, then you’re to blame. Never forget, you’re in control. Tormented soul. Tormented soul. ~Shirley Keefer Topeka My First Attempt at Quatern A Quatern is a sixteen line French form composed of four quatrains. It is similar to the Kyrielle and the Retourne. It has a refrain that is in a different place in each quatrain. The first line of stanza one is the second line of stanza two, third line of stanza three, and fourth line of stanza four. A quatern has eight syllables per line. It does not have to be iambic or follow a set rhyme scheme.